Human tears contain over twenty different types of protein as well as mucus and oils. These compounds along with other debris, such as make up are deposited on the surfaces of contact lenses and cause problems such reduced comfort and blurry vision.

The type and degree of deposits is determined by the lens material: some lenses attract more mucus or lipid while others are more prone to protein deposition. The persons own tear composition will also have an effect on the nature of contact lens surface spoilage.

Many lenses these days come in disposable form to counteract this deposition problem. However some lenses are too expensive to be able to replace regularly. Almost all non-disposable lenses benefit from a regular intensive clean to remove these stubborn deposits.

For Gas Permeable and Scleral lenses, use a product such as Menicon Progent. This consists of two separate vials of solution, Ampule A and Ampule B. The two solutions are mixed together in the pot provided and an oxidation-reduction reaction occurs that triggers protein degradation.

As well as being one of the most effective protein removers on the market, Menicon Progent also has the added advantage of being extremely potent at disinfection of an extremely wide variety of bacteria, viruses, yeasts and fungi. It even kills Acanthomoeba, a very virulent organism that is found in tap water, swimming pools and many other common water sources such as the sea and rivers. Acanthamoeba can cause a sight threatening corneal ulcer that is extremely hard to treat. In the UK Acanthomeba infection cases have risen sharply in recent years, prompting Moorfields Eye Hospital to launch an awareness and prevention campaign: